Hawaiian Tropical Plant Nursery, LLC
Hawaiian Tropical Plant Nursery, LLC
For Availability and Ordering visit our online store: http://www.store.hawaiiantropicalplants.com
| Gynostemma pentaphyllum-Family: Cucurbitaceae. Common Name: Jiao gu lan. Palmate leaved vine native to southern China. Leaves are used for a sweet tea. Reported to be high in antioxidants and have a rejuvenative effect. Seems to be easy to grow in Hawaii. Vines a bit slow when young but grow fast once established. Grow in partial shade. Slightly acidic soil high in organic matter. | |
| Leonotis leonurus- Common Name: Wild Dagga. Sometimes planted as an ornamental due to bright orange flowers. Native to South Africa and hardy to light frost. Leaves are sometimes smoked as a euphoric. Full sun. Keep moist. Growth is fast. Seems to be easy to grow. Outdoors in USDA Zones 9 to 11. | |
| Ocimum gratissimum- Common Names: Vana Tulsi, Tree Basil. This is a perennial shrub in the tropics. Fast growth reaching 3 or 4 ft. tall in a single season. Similar uses to O. sanctum in Ayurveda. Has a similar clove-like taste but is a bit more pungent. Full sun. Keep moist. Protect from cold temperatures. If you are in an area that has cold winters, keep in a large container and bring into a greenhouse or sunroom before danger of frost. | |
| Piper methysticum- Family: Piperaceae. Common Name: kava, awa. Roots are used to make a beverage. Use only subterranean portions of the roots and stem base. Taste is earthy and peppery. Relaxing and in large quantities intoxicating. Used as a social drink throughout the Pacific basin. Medicinally it is used to treat anxiety and depression. Cordate leaves. Stems range from black to light green depending on the cultivar. A number of cultivars have been selected on different islands across the Pacific. They do not produce seeds. Propagated by stem cuttings. Many cultivars are suseptible to shot hole disease caused by a fungus. Results in decreased plant vigor and may even kill plants. This can be controled with neem oil, sulfur or several strains of antifungal bacteria. I have several cultivars: Mo'i is a black stemmed Hawaiian strain high in kavalactones. Hina is from Tonga and has green stems with dark green raised spots. Rahmadel is a green stemmed Micronesian cultivar. I'll be adding Issa to my collection soon; it is disease resistant. | |
| Withania somnifera- Family: Solanaceae Common Name: Ashwaganda. Important ayurvedic herb. Roots are used for their rejuvenative effect. Uses are similar to ginseng. However, it is not botanically related to ginseng. Grows about 2 ft. tall. Produces berries enclosed in a papery husk. Full sun. Well drained soil. Easy to grow. Seeds germinate over several months. |
